Recently in Summer in Breckenridge Category

When I was at Alpine Garden's Earth Center I discovered that the garden center is partnering with the Summit Prevention Alliance.

They've built greenhouses at the senior center in Frisco and seniors and low-income families can have a plot if they'd like.  Anyone can volunteer to help.

Summit Prevention Alliance hired Holle Vliet to be the chief farmer to staff the greenhouses. Holle will grow and distribute produce for the food banks and lead the volunteers. She's been growing vegetables in Summit County since she was five and has been the Nursery Manager for Summit Landscaping in Breckenridge. She will be available at the garden site starting in May to help plant and grow arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, chives, mint, sage, thyme and others. Please call or email Joanna Rybak for a garden plot application and/or volunteer opportunities at (970)453-9333 or visit the Alpine Garden website for more information on building greenhouses. joanna@summitprevetionalliance.org. Beginner gardeners are welcome! No experience necessary.
Go to Alpine Garden's website for more info about greenhouse building.

It's going to snow this week, so, like a glutton for disappointment, I hurried out to Alpine Gardens in Silverthorne to buy flowers to plant in my hanging baskets.

It's still cold, so I used some restraint and only got enough for three baskets or Red-Wave petunias and other flowers that Sherrie, the owner of Alpine Gardens, recommended.

It's so nice to have a locally owned nursery that cares if the plants are meant for our environment -- or not. Not everything will grow well at 9,600 feet above sea level.

I want to make sure I can  show all my blog readers great views from the deck this summer, so these are going to be babied, and more will be forthcoming. I can't wait for warmer weather.
 
While I was in Alpine Gardens, kids were planting what Sherrie calls 'window box fairy gardens'. She is standing, wearing red and a nice gardening smock, in first photo. 

Alpine Gardens is also working with Dillon Valley Elementary to build a garden that the students can tend, and helping the Summit Prevention Alliance with the greenhouse project at the Senior Center in Frisco.

When you see the YouTube video of the constructions -- and snow is falling in front of the camera -- you can see why a greenhouse will be very useful in Summit County.

Breckenridge Ski Resort got the green light to build a Coaster ride near the base of Peak 8.  Approved by the planning commission earlier this month, the ride was approved by the town council on March 23. The resort plans to operate the coaster between the first of June and September 15, and from early November until mid April. The coaster is similar to the existing Alpine Slide, but will be made of steel track designed for individual cars. Unlike the Alpine Slide, the proposed Coaster's cars are propelled up the track to the beginning of the launch point, similar to a roller coaster. Participants are strapped into the individual cars and are able to control the speed of the decent.

The Coaster will consists of approximately 3,000 feet of steel track and will be located almost entirely in a stand of lodge pole pine trees that separate the Twister and Dyersville ski runs.

The ski resort has also asked the town for permission to run the gondola from town to Peak 8, to provide access to the summer activities park, this summer, during daylight hours. Breckenridge Resort hopes to run the gondola instead of driving buses up and down Ski Hill Road.

The gondola, however, passes over the Cucumber Gulch Open Space area that the town has been working hard to preserve as a wildlife-friendly dogleg of land near town. The town council was concerned about the gondola operations impacts on moose calving and bird habitat, especially in June. Two different biologists weighed in on the proposal at the March 23 council meeting, and the decision was postponed.